Chapter 23: Chapter 23 - Adanyl; Our Future Waifu

{A/n:: I've been jokingly accused of having a preference for Women with silver or white hair, and well, I can't entirely deny it...

Diana - Her hair is actually blue, contrary to an illustration I previously deleted due to spreading misinformation. In chapters 1 and 19th, I mentioned that her hair changes to blue upon awakening her bloodline.

Adanyl, Yui, Alia - These characters have silver hair, hinting at a blood relation that will be revealed in future chapters.

Jenny, Karina - Both characters have pink hair, also tied to a blood relation that will be revealed later on.

Maria - Her hair color hasn't been mentioned until now.

So, despite the accusations, I assure you there's more to these hair colors than a simple 'fetish' for silver hair! }

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"Prepare a carriage; we are going to Goddess Fela's Monastery"

Upon hearing these instructions, Johan nodded in acknowledgment, though contemplating something he needed to inform Ryuk about.

However, recalling Ryuk's orders to not prioritize that matter, he decided to remain silent,"Understood, Your Highness," Johan replied before exiting the room.

Observing Johan's departure, Ryuk pondered his next move regarding dealing with Maria, knowing he would become occupied after two days due to the plan he had set in motion since discovering the truth about the Devereaux family, his gaze remained fixed in that direction, 'Decrease the effect of Enslavement Grimoire on Wang'

[ 𝚂𝚞𝚌𝚌𝚎𝚜𝚜𝚏𝚞𝚕𝚕𝚢 𝙸𝚗𝚒𝚝𝚒𝚊𝚝𝚎𝚍 ]

'Now, we just have to wait for a moment,' Ryuk thought, sitting back as he anticipated his plans to unfold as intended.

His Amber eyes kept themselves locked on, one of the walls inside the room.

To an outside observer, he seemed unremarkable, yet at that precise moment, a faint smile emerged on his lips.

His narrowed gaze remained locked on another pair of amber eyes, identical to his own yet bearing a subtle but distinct difference,' perfect timing, Mother'

Upon witnessing his smile, it didn't take Alisia long to grasp the reason behind Wang's ability to disclose the truth about Enslavement was just a part of her son's plans.

Understanding the reason behind his actions, she intentionally spoke aloud, acknowledging the clear reason why Ryuk made Wang a scapegoat — to teach him in two days, knowing well that he was listening everything since the starting.

Ryuk's enhanced senses allowed him to clearly overhear their conversation, having been attuned to that room's activities since the moment he heard a lizard's scream.

Ignoring that instance, he patiently waited for this particular moment, the moment his mother accepted to teach him personally—and she just did.

While there was seemingly nothing more Alisia could teach Ryuk after he had already defeated her once, he glanced down at his hands, acknowledging his present weakness: his own body.

He needed to train this small body to become much stronger than he was in his previous life.

Ryuk found himself in need of a sparring partner, someone he wouldn't fear accidentally harming due to his mana outbursts and could trust enough to let his guard down after exhaustive training.

Contemplating his options, he realized he was alone, not even trusting Wang after his cowardly act of saving Edward.

Feeling isolated, he decided to devise a plan to become strong enough to confront those who treated him as mere entertainment on their miniature stage known as Heindal Continent.

His goal was clear — form his «Ether core» and then depart from this small cage of a continent.

'As expected, that Chameleon showed his true colors'

Ryuk had meticulously orchestrated Wang's eventual revelation of the truth to Alisia from the very moment he allowed Wang to leave that dungeon unscathed, despite him interrupting his handling of Edward.

After all, he found it impossible to pardon someone who betrayed him, even if they had a feeble excuse, a cold glint passing through his eyes,' System'

[ 𝚈𝚎𝚜 𝙷𝚘𝚜𝚝 ]

'The moment Wang reattaches himself with his real body, activate Neuro Grim,' Ryuk commanded, initiating one of the five moves he had pre-planned upon arriving in this life.

Neuro Grim was a countermeasure Ryuk devised for the Enslavement Grimoire, recognizing a drawback in his ability.

He realized that powerful individuals capable of transferring their souls could detect anomalies and remove his ability.

To counter this, he devised a trigger within the Enslavement Grimoire.

It could serve as a deterrent, initiating a new Enslavement contract specifically for Vessels like Wang, who could switch their souls to evade his ability.

The moment they reconnected their soul with their real body, a hidden parasite embedded within the soul would corrupt its original form as well.

It was a fundamental principle Ryuk had learned as a software engineer in his previous life—attach a benign malware to a source file to corrupt another device while masquerading as an auxiliary file.

' Now, it's time for our second move. Hope to meet you soon, Miss Saintess '

Johan moved through long hallway, until a woman's figure standing in Maid's outfit become visible to him. Looking at his arriving figure, woman approached him, asking, "What happened? Did you tell him?"

Johan shook his head but Seeing his wife's face turn solemn, he continued, "I told you, he doesn't want to meet her"

Vivian found this situation complicated. On one hand, she wanted to aid her master, while on the other, her husband was bound to his duties.

"I guess I have to make an excuse again," she lamented.

Hearing his wife's words, Johan understood the predicament and offered consolation, "I can try again if you want. In the meantime, you can convince her that His Highness is busy with work"

"Understood," Vivian nodded, then departed towards another part of palace to continue her task.

Attached to the main palace were two side residences belonging to both heirs of the Selvius Kingdom—Ryuk Von Selvius and Olivia Von Selvius.

Venturing into the other part of the palace, Vivian entered the premises. Moving through a lengthy hallway, she reached a door, hoping that the princess didn't feel upset.

Knock knock

"Come in," a voice called out from inside, prompting Vivian to open the door.

Revealed upon opening was a young girl with crimson eyes and blonde hair standing near the window.

Sunlight, magically caressing her golden locks, made them shimmer like polished gold, while her red ruby eyes sparkled due to the rays, giving her an ethereal appearance to mortal eyes.

"Is it happening again?" Olivia looked toward Vivian anxiously, aware that despite promising a date to Olivia in front of her mother, Ryuk never showed up.

Instead, he chose to visit Baroness Carlien on his own and even rejected any meetings with her since then.

"His highness is occupied with responsibilities, but he will surely meet you once he's free," Vivian bowed, attempting to provide a justified response to maintain a good relationship between Olivia and Ryuk.

"You always say this!"

Olivia shouted in frustration, clutching her dress tightly. The words she heard were all too familiar, something she had grown accustomed to in her previous life, and it irked her to no end.

Vivian was puzzled by Olivia's words, realizing it was the first time she had mentioned this, Confused about Olivia's remark, Vivian inquired, "I don't understand—"

"Where is she?"

Vivian, interrupted mid-sentence, gazed at Olivia's stern face.

Her ruby eyes seemed to demand an immediate answer, leaving Vivian confused, making her inquire further, "I don't understand whom you are referring to, Your Highness"

"That white-haired commoner he brought from the Monastery!"

"Your Highness, I truly don't know whom you're talking about," Vivian, familiar with Olivia's intensifying personality lately, sensed an impending urgency, knowing well about her talking about Adanyl.

As Olivia's nanny and confidante, Vivian knew Olivia's personality traits well—her determination to achieve anything and the lengths she might go to realize her desires.

"Don't lie to me! I know he brought some girl and housed her in Midnight Elysium!"

Realizing things were escalating, Vivian attempted to defuse the situation, as she feared Olivia might take drastic actions against that little girl.

"N-now I remember, His Highness mentioned that he would meet you today" In that moment, Vivian, feeling overwhelmed, resorted to a lie, trying to prevent an unfortunate outcome.

Aware of Olivia's royal status and potential influence despite being only five years old, it was evident that she held the capacity to cause significant harm, even capable of killing someone.

However, Vivian's greater concern lay in the aftermath of Olivia's actions and the possible strain it could put on the relationship between Ryuk and Olivia.

"W-what!? Really? Why didn't you tell me earlier?" Olivia's attention shifted upon hearing the prospect of meeting Ryuk, momentarily forgetting about Adanyl.

Her mind settled, eagerly awaiting Vivian's words.

"Th-that... I-i forgot," Vivian struggled in her tangled web of lies, unable to find a way out. She kept fabricating excuses, uncertain of her next move, only hoping for her husband to somehow intervene and assist her to escape this situation.

"Sorry?" Seeing Olivia's frown directed at her, Vivian felt her mind swirl with turmoil, unable to find a way to evade the situation.

Swiftly, she bowed, stating, "I will just call him myself," and promptly took her leave, slipping away while Olivia continued to gaze in her direction.

"What is your name?" Ryuk turned toward a young girl in a maid's attire, her sapphire eyes fixed on him.

"I-it's Alia, your highness," Alia bowed, trying to maintain her composure, feeling relieved that Ryuk seemed unaware of her true identity, seemengly had no memories of previous life.

"Hmm," Ryuk merely nodded, amused by her demeanor.

His intention was to let her wrestle with her own internal conflict about his supposed memories while he attended to pending matters.

As he made his way towards the waiting carriage, he halted, sensing someone's approach.

Vivian rushed towards him, panting heavily, pleading, "Please, your highness, Princess Olivia wishes to meet you. Could you come with me?"

In her haste, Vivian suddenly realized her mistake.

She had forgotten her place before royalty, and despite being the nanny of Princess Olivia, it wasn't appropriate to interrupt his departure in such a manner.

Biting her lip, overcome with emotion, Vivian wished she could cry.

When she raised her gaze, she noticed both Ryuk and Alia looking at her with widened eyes.

Confused by their reactions, she continued, "Apologies, y-your highness, for my behavior"

Ryuk, snapping out of his thoughts, displayed a soft smile upon recognizing a nostalgic and familiar figure before him.

"It's quite a pleasure to see you again, Vivian"

The maids who had been expecting the reprimand of a fellow maid found their world turned upside down.

Even Johan, who had been pondering a solution to his wife's actions, was taken aback by the unfolding situation.

"D-do you know my name, y-your Highness?" Feeling bewildered, Vivian pointed at herself while looking at the boy in front of her, puzzled by a royal knowing her name.

Ryuk disregarded her question and addressed Johan, who bowed in acknowledgment, awaiting his commands.

"Assign Vivian to care for Adanyl and increase her salary tenfold," Ryuk instructed.

Then, turning toward Vivian, he fixed her with a narrowed gaze and added, "If you require anything else, simply inform Johan"

" W-what, I-i", Vivian's word stuck in her mouth not letting it come out, while her teary eyes turning towards her husband who maintaining his posture kept bowing towards Ryuk.

Ryuk, well aware of her startled state and seeing an opportunity, initiated his third move. "Lastly, take good care of Adanyl, who is also your future Crown Princess."

"C-crown Princess!?"